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Tour tech: Liquigas-Cannondale, Saur-Sojasun, Vacansoleil-DCM

Ivan Basso's Liquigas-Cannondale SuperSix Evo sits safely tucked in between other team bikes - just like how it usually is out on the road.

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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SRM provides the Liquigas-Cannondale team with custom-colored Power Control 7 computer heads.

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Remember that funky height-adjustable seatpost we showed you on Ivan Basso's (Liquigas-Cannondale) Cannondale SuperSix Evo before the start of this year's Tour de France? So far we haven't actually seen him use it in competition.

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Cannondale has equipped the Liquigas-Cannondale with a full fleet of new SuperSix Evos, including mains and spares.

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Sealed Gore Ride-On derailleur cables and housing help maintain good shift performance on the Liquigas-Cannondale team bikes.

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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The flattened chain stays on the new Liquigas-Cannondale SuperSix Evo is designed to provide just a hint of traction and comfort benefit.

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Liquigas-Cannondale riders have a wide range of Mavic wheels to choose from for each stage of the Tour de France. Most of the time they opt for the versatile Cosmic Carbone Ultimate but wet days can call for aluminum-rimmed models with the new Exalith textured sidewalls for more predictable braking.

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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A few rubber o-rings help keep the rear derailleur housing from marring Liquigas-Cannondale team frames.

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Cannondale claims the flattened stays on its new SuperSix Evo add a noticeable amount of comfort but it's still no mushy ride.

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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The rear brake housing runs through the top tube on Liquigas-Cannondale's new SuperSix Evo.

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Mavic's textured Exalith brake surface also uses a special hardening treatment that supposedly wears longer than bare aluminum and provides superior braking, especially in the wet.

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Saur-Sojasun is using Time's striking RXRS Ulteam frame for road stages in this year's Tour de France.

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Saur-Sojasun's Rotor 3D+ cranks can fit in a number of different bottom brackets, including the BB30 ones on the team's Time RXRS Ulteam frames.

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Saur-Sojasun is using TRP's revised R970SL magnesium dual-caliper brakes with a more conventional cam-type quick-release.

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Gore's Ride-On sealed cable systems are very popular amongst the pro ranks for the lighter lever feel they provide and their reliable all-weather performance.

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Rotor's 3D+ cranksets are on several teams' bikes this year but the elliptical Q-Rings are much more rare.

Liquigas-Cannondale is on the Bedford, Connecticut company's latest SuperSixEvo – an ultralight evolution of the previous SuperSix Hi-Mod that reportedly weighs just 695g for the bare frame. Team frames are almost certainly a fair bit heavier than that, though, given the thick coats of paint comprising the white, light green, and blue livery – paint can easily add a couple hundred grams.

Even so, team mechanics likely have to add some ballast somewhere to meet the UCI's minimum weight of 6.8kg. Our recent First Ride test bike came in at just 6.11kg (13.46lb) without pedals and that was with aluminum clinchers fitted instead of the team's more usual ultralight Mavic Cosmic Carbone Ultimate carbon tubulars.

Other aspects of Liquigas-Cannondale's team builds are similarly light, including a complete SRAM Red group – finished in matching accent colors just for the team – Cannondale's own Hollowgram SL BB30 crank with SRM power measuring spiders, fi'zi:k saddles with braided carbon rails, Speedplay Zero Stainless pedals, Elite bottle cages, Gore Ride-On derailleur cables and housing, and FSA bars, stems, and seatposts.

As for that crazy height-adjustable seatpost we showed you on Ivan Basso's machine just prior to the start of this year's Tour de France? Perhaps he's saving it for a special occasion but unless we've missed it, Basso hasn't actually used it during any stage of the race.

Striking Time RXRSUlteam machines for Saur-Sojasun

Saur-Sojasun is using time's striking rxrs ulteam frame for road stages in this year's tour de france.:

Saur-Sojasun's Time RXRS Ulteam machines

French cycling team Saur-Sojasun is "keeping it in the family" so to speak with its Time RXRS Ulteam road machines in this year's Tour de France. Time has made some concessions to aerodynamic performance with the frame's deeper-section down tube and seat tube but for the most part, the focus still remains on stiffness, weight, and ride quality.

Vacansoleil-DCM has a couple of ridley's new noah fast bikes at its disposal but they seem to be reserved as spare machines for now.:

The Noah Fast has been mostly kept on the roofs of the Vacansoleil team cars

Dutch cycling team Vacansoleil-DCM – including new hero Johnny Hoogerland – has mostly been using Ridley's aerodynamic Noah to contest road stages in this year's Tour de France. A decidedly unusual machine with its sweeping lines and very deep tube profiles, the Noah's defining features are its uniquely split fork blades and seat stays that are said to help direct air out and away from the wheels' churning spokes to decrease drag.

In addition, roughened surfaces on the outermost edges of key tubes supposedly helps passing air 'stick' to the trailing edges of the frame for cleaner airflow. All told, Ridley claims a 20-watt savings at 40km/h (25mph) as compared to its own round-tubed Helium.

Two Vacansoleil-DCM riders have a new Ridley aero bike at their disposal: the even more striking Noah Fast, which shares similar split-tube shaping as the standard Noah but with cleverly incorporated linear-pull brakes that are molded directly into the carbon fiber structure. In addition to cleaning up the aerodynamic profile of the bike, the integrated brake calipers drop a substantial amount of weight, they should require less maintenance than conventional calipers, and they still include standard adjustments like pad height and angle and spring tension.

The R-Surface texturing on Vacansoleil-DCM's standard Noahs also give way to a more pronounced rubber ridge on the Noah Fast.

That all being said, though, those new Noah Fasts have mostly made it to the finish lines each day atop the team cars as spare bikes. Given the newness of the model, we're guessing team riders are gathering up more test time before committing them to competition.

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Preferred Terrain: Up in the Colorado high-country where the singletrack is still single, the dirt is still brown, and the aspens are in full bloom. Also, those perfect stretches of pavement where the road snakes across the mountainside like an artist's paintbrush.